Bed cross-board

ABSTRACT

A CROSS-BOARD FOR SUPPORTING AND FOR PROVIDING CERTAIN TREATMENTS TO THE FEET OF INVALIDS WHILE IN BED. THE BOARD MAY ALSO BE ADJUSTED TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION TO ACT AS A TABLE. A PAIR OF COMPOUND ANGLE BRACKETS ARE SELECTABLY USABLE WITH BED RAILS OF DIFFERENT SIZES. THE STRUCTURE IS PROPORTIONED TO CREATE AN INWARD STRESS WHEN FASTENED IN POSITION, THEREBY TO SIMPLY SECURE THE BRACKETS UPON THE RAILS.

Dec. 14, 1971 w M|NTQN 3,626,524

BED CROSS-BOARD Filed Sept. 21, 1970 INVENTOR.

JAMES W. MINTON AGENT BY FM United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cross-board for supporting and for providing certain treatments to the feet of invalids while in bed. The board may also be adjusted to a horizontal position to act as a table. A pair of compound angle brackets are selectably usable with bed rails of different sizes. The structure is proportioned to create an inward stress when fastened in position, thereby to simply secure the brackets upon the rails.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to bed attachments, particularly to those for use in assisting invalids.

A number of cross-bed boards are known. These are characterized by the manner in which they are attached to the bed. Some have been attached to the footboard of the bed and others to the headboard, requiring relatively long members to place the cross-bed board as desired.

Certain boards have been attached to the two side rails of the bed which support the mattress, but invariably have employed some type of screw attachment at the rails. Some have required fitting a screw-type element from under the bed. Others have allowed only certain positioning in the distance from the head to the foot of the bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Ths width of the cross-board of this invention is incrementally less than the width of the bed as determined by the separation between the uprights employed. This causes a stress throughout the structure when it is completely assembled that locks the brackets to the rails of the bed without the necessity of tightening screw devices upon the brackets.

The brackets attach to the vertical leg of the angle rail of the bed. Two ends with lips are provided on each bracket to selectively attach to bed rails of different dimensions. Uprights are slidably held in each bracket with a locking pin so that a desired height of the cross-board can be obtained.

It has been found that certain treatments can be given to a patient by means of accessories to the cross-board of this invention.

A vibrator unit may be mounted upon the rear of the cross-board. This provides stimulation to chronic in-bed patients.

Additionally, adjustable clips are provided on the front of the cross-board to hold an electric heating pad against the feet of the patient.

These treatments may be given separately, or at the same time. The vibrator is demountable and the clips turn out of the way or may be removed when the crossboard is used as a table, or as a book rack (being positioned at an angle to the vertical).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a transverse elevation of the cross-board installed upon a bed. The bed is shown in section immediately forward of the crossboard, as is indicated by section line 11 in FIG. -2.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cross board and bed, fragmentary as to the bed. Front and back accessories to the board are shown in place.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one compound angle bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates the left-hand metal angle rail, in section, and numeral 2 similarly identifies the right-hand rail of a bed. A spring structure may be supported between these rails, but a new structure is here shown. A simple sheet of metal 3 is rigidly affixed to the rails and extends fully between them. Resiliency for the patient is accomplished wholly by mattress 4, which is supported upon sheet 3.

For attaching the cross-board to the bed a pair of compound angle bracket 5 and 6 are slipped over rails 1 and 2, opposite one another. These brackets may be made right and left hand, or one type can be constructed, one bracket being revolved horizontally to give the opposed pair. A bracket is detailed in FIG. 3. The brackets can be fastened at any point along the bed rails, thus any desired position for the cross-board up and down the bed can be obtained.

FIG. 3 shows the compound brackets to be essentially in one piece. This piece may be formed of furniture steel, plated to be rust-proof, or of stainless steel, typically. A welded fabrication utilizing tubing stock or casting may be used.

The bracket consists of an upper rectangular tubular vertical leg 7 and a lower rectangular tubular leg 8, which legs are colinear. At roughly the center between the two legs a horizontal leg 9 extends at right angles away from vertical legs 7, 8. An upper return lip 10 is curved away from the vertical leg in the same direction as the horizontal leg extends at the upper extremity of leg 7. The lip is shaped to fit over bed rail 1 or 2.

A lower return lip 11 is similarly formed at the lower extremity of leg 8.

It is seen in FIG. 1 that it is the lower lip that engages the lower extremity of bed rail 1 or 2 for the typical bed. If, for any reason the bed rails were inverted, so that the vertical leg terminated upwardly, then the reverse would be true with respect to the lips of the brackets.

The brackets are interchangeable as to up and down. Whether they are placed on the bed rails as shown in FIG. 3, or the upside-down opposite of this orientation is determined by the dimensions of bed rails 1 and 2. These are largely standardized at 1%". This fits in the space between the bottom of horizontal leg 9 and the inner surface of lip 11 in FIG. 3. The corresponding distance for upper leg 7 is made greater (typically) or less, to accommodate beds having rails of another size.

Rigid uprights 12 and 14 are proportioned to fit easily into the hollow tubular portion of brackets 5 and 6. The uprights may be formed of an aluminum structural alloy material, as /2" x 1" rectangular bar stock, or of stainless steel tubing having the same outside dimensions. Light weight is a desirable factor but is not a requirement.

In order that the cross-board may be positioned at selected heights above the mattress, each of uprights 12 and 14 are provided with a series of holes 15. These may be of the order of 4 diameter, A1." deep, and spaced 2" apart. The uprights are identical. They have been given different reference numerals in FIG. 1 for identification as to left or right.

The uprights are retained vertically within the brackets by a pin 16 in each of the latter (FIG. 3). This pin is fastened to both a leaf spring 17 and a knob 18. The spring is fastened at its opposite end to one of the narrow faces of a bracket 5 by rivet 19, which may be provided with a washer 20. A hole in the face of the bracket passes the pin through the wall of the bracket so that the pin can engage hole in the upright. The Spring firmly retains the pin in the selected hole until the retentive force of the spring is overcome manually by one grasping knob 18 and pulling it outward.

The hole-pin structure has been chosen to be on a narrow face of each bracket so that this structure will not be in the way of manipulation of the known side of bed fences (not shown) that are used to prevent certain patients from falling out of bed. These fences may be of the hinge-up or the raise-up type, but with the side disposition of knob 18 there is sufiicient clearance. However, the hole-pin structure may be located on the wide outward face of the bracket should there be any reason for this. This is the face opposite to horizontal leg 9.

The top of each upright is provided with an aperture means, such as notch 21 (see FIG. 2), say A" wide and deep. This is to allow projecting studs 23, 24, attached to metal channels 25, 26, which are in turn rigidly attached to cross-board 27, to conveniently pass down into the top of the uprights during the assembly of the crossboard structure upon the bed.

Threaded knurled knobs 28 and 29 are provided (along with washers) to be threaded upon studs 23 and 24 outside of uprights 12 and 14, to tighten the board to the uprights. The distance between the outsides of metal channels 25 and 26, which are integral with cross-board 27 and may be considered a continuation thereof, is made incrementally less than the inside distance between vertical uprights 12 and 14. The nurse securely tightens knobs 28 and 29 when the installation of the crossboard is being completed upon the bed. This accomplishes two things; by her positioning board 27 vertically, horizontally, or at an incline the position of the board is fixed, and at the same time lips 11 and the vertical legs of rails 1 and 2 are brought tightly together, securing the whole assembly.

The positioning of the cross-board determines that it shall be useful as either a foot board, a table, or a reading rack. The tightening also makes the whole structure rigid, which does not occur until this is done, and so identifies it as a house of cards that is not really erected until the whole operation is completed. This is the opposite of nu merous prior arrangements in which the brackets and/or uprights (or equivalent elements) have each been securely fastened as they are installed. The advantages of the present structure are simplicity, ease of installation (particularly under the rails of the bed), ruggedness, and low cost.

Channels 25 and 26 at the end of the board are typically of aluminum, which may be anodized. Board 27 may be thick plywood, painted hospital white, or a thermosetting plastic such as Formica, with which a thickness of A" could be considered sufiicient. The board must have a nominal resistance to serious deformation by force exerted upon it by the feet of the patient, a food tray, etc. Conversely, it should not be so heavy that the vibration of vabrator accessory would be minimized. A typical size for the board is 34 /2" long (cross-bed) by 12 high.

A projection 31 is provided at the lower edge of board 27. This is to support reading matter or similar items when the board is used in the inclined position, and to support the heels of the patient when it is used in the vertical position. It has been found that about a 1%" projection is the minimum that will comfortably support the heels. Such a projection can be provided in the form of an aluminum or stainless steel angle having that dimension, and may not extend the full width of the board. The angle is fastened to the board by four rivets, or equivalent screws with threaded inserts in the board. Two fastenings are 32, shown in FIG. 1, the other two being obscured by an accessory. All corners on the projection are rounded and no sharp projections are allowed on the fastening means, for the safety of the patient and for freedom of involvement of the bedclothes.

An electrical heating pad 33, or equivalent, is an accessory arranged for demountable use on the front, or patient,

4 side of board 27. A typical size for the pad is 16" long by 12" wide by /2" thick. It can be arranged to lie against the board by resting the lower longer dimension thereof upon projection 31 and by fastening the upper corners of the pad under clips 34 and 35.

The two clips are identical and are made of semi-spring stock, suitably plated to avoid corrosion. A typical length is 5" to 6". A 3 slot is provided in the part that contacts board 27, this being off of the heating pad. The slot allows adjustment of the positions of the clips and so accommodate heating pads of different size. Screws 36 and 37 have knurled heads and screw into threaded inserts in board 27. The clips may be removed from the board by removing the screws, or may be swung out of place to be 180 different in position than as shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the clips are curved over the pad to spring-retain it.

An electrical vibrator 40 is an accessory arranged for demountable use on the rear of board 27, away from the patient. This may be of Pollenex manufacture, operable on alternating current only, at the usual household voltage of volts and consuming a small fraction of an ampere of current. As will be noted in FIG. 2 a metal plate 41 is mounted on the bottom of the vibrator, extending beyond it on each side. This plate slides into a pair of spaced slides 42, 43. These include a bottom plate 44, and a recessed rail of plastic, such as nylon, with a metal rail atop the plastic on each side. The plastic is employed to give a slight elasticity between plate 41 and the slides, thereby to maintain a tight joint and to prevent noise due to rattle when the vibrator is in use. Knob 45 on the vibrator provides high and low vibratory intensity and an off position of the switch to which it connects.

The vibrator is useful in preventing the patients feet from going to sleep or to provide an equivalent to exercise in bed-ridden patients.

The heating pad and the vibrator may be used separately or together, and either or both may be removed from board 27 when desired,

I claim:

1. A bed cross-board assembly comprising;

(a) a pair of compound angle brackets (5, 6) having vertical and horizontal legs formed to engage opposite rails (1, 2) of a bed, each of which brackets includes a return lip (10, 11) at each end of said vertical leg to selectively engage a said rail of different vertical dimension, and which also includes a vertical tubular portion,

'(b) a pin (16), spring-attached (17) to each said bracket,

(c) a rigid upright (12, 14) to removably enter each said vertical tubular portion,

((1) a plurality of holes (15) in said upright disposed to selectively engage said pin for retaining said upright at a selected elevation with respect to said bracket,

(e) aperture means (21) at the upper end of each said upright,

' (f) a cross-board (27), having a length incrementally less than the inside distance between said uprights (12, 14) when attached to the rails of said bed, and

(g) mounting means (23, 24; 28, 29) attached to each extremity of said board to engage a said aperture means of a said upright,

whereby such attachment creates an inward stress upon said brackets (5, 6) to fixedly retain said brackets upon said rails.

2. The assembly of claim 1, in which;

(a) said aperture means (21) is a notch into which said mounting means may be lowered in forming said cross-board assembly.

3. The assembly of claim 1, in which;

(a) said pin (16) is disposed on a narrow side of said bracket (5, 6), and

(b) said holes (15) are disposed on a corresponding narrow side of a said upright (12, 14),

whereby a minimum structure of said assembly extends beyond the side of a bed. 4. The assembly of claim 1, which additionally includes; (a) a projection (31) extending along the bottom edge of said cross-board (27), and (b) plural clips (34, 35) attached to said cross-board spaced from said projection,

whereby a pad (33) is removably supported upon said board. 5. The assembly of claim 4, in which; (a) each of said plural clips includes a slot, and (b) fastening means (36, 37) attached to said crossboard engage each said slot, whereby said pad (33) may selectively be of different size. 6. The assembly of claim 1, which additionally includes; (a) a slide (42, 43) mounted on said cross-board upon the opposite side from said projection (31), to removably support a vibratory device (40).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

